Officials of the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) wing led by Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai in South Africa say they are now living in fear following the suspected abduction by unknown people of former youth secretary Edias Chirape who disappeared six days ago.

Chirape left his wife and two children last Thursday to buy some groceries and has not returned home.

South African police told the party that they are failing to trace Chirape who was also a former secretary of the MDC Veterans Activist Association.

A colleague and friend, Brendon Nyoni, who is the provincial secretary for education in the prime minister’s MDC formation said they have almost given up hope of finding Chirape.

“We have some cases where our members have been kidnapped and sent back home. It’s no longer safe to go home because they will be waiting for you,” said Nyoni.

Meanwhile, Central Methodist bishop Paul Verryn whose church shelters dozens of Zimbabweans, told Studio 7 there is reason for MDC activists to fear that Zimbabwe state security agents are responsible for the disappearance of Chirape.

Bishop Verryn said he got an e-mail from Chirape before he disappeared. “The e-mail shows that he was in trouble,” he said.